Balneotherapy apparatus



Patented Aug. 25, 1953 jUNI'TfDaI-s BALNEOTHERAPYAPPARATUS- Y s Robert T ,Melslieimen Calif. w Application October 14, 1950,1Seriall\lj.f190`,1'77A This invention relates to balneotherapy 'appa--Y ratus and deals more particularly fwith apparatus for creating a constant Vsupply of myriads f'bubbles to produce certain benecial physiological eects onthe body of a'person immersed in a bath.

The therapeutic value of air bubbles in hydro-y therapy is now becoming more fully recognizedv and has been found benecial in the treatment of many diseases and abnormal conditions of the body. Such therapy has been employed for its benecial, gentle and soothing effects on insomniacs, expectant mothers, convalescents and enfeebled persons, and for thebenecial results obtained in the treatment of hypertension, circulatory disturbances, rheumatic and arthritic conditions, metabolicv diseases', skin diseases, and many other abnorma1 nervous conditions. Stimulation of the skin; capillaries, and nerve ends has been found to also beneficially affect the vascular and vegetative nervoussystems ofv persons in normally good health, as well as those suffering from disorders such as above mentioned.

In order to be wholly eective, an air bubble bath should create two'pri'mary eifects. One, a directeiect on the skinto create improvement in the peripheral circulation and a" change in the 'ionic content of the skin fand an'in'crease in' its esophylactic functionsV and; twofindirect or reective effects resulting in changes in the' autonomic nervous system andits functions.V

The eilicacy of the foregoingis a direct function of the number of air bubblescreated; the largergthe number and, inthe main, the smaller their'size, the greater the benecial eiects. Accordingly, an importantv object ofthe present invention is to'provide apparatus of the character indicated, that is highly ecient to continuously produce .myriads of relatively small-'bubbles to effect Ya substantially Vcomplete covering thereby of the skin of the patient. Y

Another object of the invention is to provide air-bubble-forming apparatus that may be used inthe home with salutary eiects equal to that obtained when administered by professionals and f with complete safety.Y

Another object ofthe invention is to provide apparatus that includes a novel grid-like element adapted to be positioned on the bottom of a bath tub,j the. same being provided with novel means for producing, from a supply of compressed air, a

large amount of 'extremely small airibubbles that permeate the bath.

AThe inventionvalso Ahas for its objects to providewsuch means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefromreconomical :of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability. y

The invention-'also comprisesfnovel details of However, Athe drawings merely show and the fol-y lowing description merely describes one embodiment of the .present invention, 'which is. givenby wayfillustration or example only.` the drawings.. like .reference characters designate similar parts inthe ,several views: -.Fig...1 is a planyiewofapparatus according to the present, invention and shown in operative position., n Fig. 2 is anenlarged fragmentaryplan View of the.bubble-generatinggridj of said apparatus.

Fig-, 3Y ,is aA fragmentary longitudinal sectional View ofsaid grid anda support therefor.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view as taken on line 4.4ofFig.3.

A typical bath tubi isshown in Fig. l, the vsame being usedto hold aguantity of water at a desired temperature. thermal stimulation is increased Aas the temperature of the water is increased, as can be understood. Chemical stimulation may be created by the admixture in the water `of certain salts, sulphur. Oil Ofiether, orsanf, GXTEICQQS. etc-, While the present invention makes no claim 'to' the creation Othebenecial effects ofr thermal and chemical stimulation, the V'present improved meansI considerably,v Aincreaseswthe pharmacok dynamic eifect of"- additive chemicals, whether dissolved or in suspension, through eicent and continuous creation of vmyriad's of extremelyv small air bubbles and the accompanying increase in skin stimulation. l

The present apparatus comprises, generally, a grid 6, means] for supplying .a continuous supply of compressed air to said grid, and a support 8 for the grid, both the grid and support being positioned `on the'vbottom of tub 5 while the means I is located outside the tub.

Thegrid 6 comprises' aseries of. parallel tubes 9 that are connectedl at one end by a manifold header- I0 and, at the opposite end, by a bar II. The-'drawing shows four tubes VSl although the numbermay vary as desired. Tubes 9 and header I0 are preferably ofV rectangular cross-section substantially `as shown.Y Where each tube Sconnectsfto the header thereV is provided an exter-fV nally threaded tubularfnipple I2 on said header, the-same havingv connection with a plug I3 in the adjacent end of the respective tubesB. Each plug lli'fisprovided'with a notch` I'I that serves to cony In the use of the'present means,

neet passage I4 and the longitudinal passage I8 that is formed between channel I5 and the bottom wall I9 of tube 9. It Will be clear that compressed air in header IU will readily pass into passage I8 of each tube 9 substantially without resistance.

Flexible tube 20, which conducts compressed air to header Hl, is shown connected to a central point of said header. In order that the outer tubes 9 receive substantially ther same amount of air from the header that is received by the two intermediate tubes 9, the .passages in nipples I2 that connect to said intermediate tubes are proportionally smaller than the passages in the nipples that connect to the outer tubes. Should tube 29 be connected to one end of the header, the nipple passages are proportionally increased as their remoteness from the air connection increases to obtain the mentioned uniformity of air ow to all of tubes 9.

Between top wall 2I of each tube 9 and transverse wall 22 of channel I5 therein there is formed a longitudinal chamber 23 in which is placed a continuous strip 24 of felted or matted material, the same being drawn into said chamber from one end of the tube and tightly tted therein so as to be under some compression. Thus, assurance that strip 24 completely fills chamber 23 is had. It will be clear that said strip embodies a multiplicity of pores or interstices that are quite uniformly distributed throughout the length of the strip.

A set of openings 25 are provided in channel wall 22 .and another set of openings 26 are provided in tube walls 2l, said sets of openings being preferably elongated substantially as shown.

A plug 21, yamxed by screws 28, to bar II extends into the end of each tube S and is held in place by screws 29. A felt ller piece 30 is interposed between the inner end of each plug 21 and the adjacent end of both channel I5 and Y strip 24.

While compressed air freely passes into and lls passage I8, the strip 24, despite its numerous pores, will act to retard air ow therethrough, thus insuring as much -air ilow from the far ends of tubes 9 as from the ends adjacent header I0. Only such air as will pass through strip 24 will pass through openings 26 and the same will be so attenuated that extremely fine air bubbles will be released into the water of the bath and quite uniformly through the extent of the grid.

The means 'I comprises a box 3I which, essentially houses an Iair pump 32 and an electric motor 33 to drive said pump. Comparable means may be provided to supply certain beneficial gases, such as carbon dioxide or pure oxygen, instead of compressed 'air or to supplement the same. Thus, means 'l may comprise a tank of precompressed air or gas or mixtures thereof, as desired.

Support 8 is preferably formed as a, platform which is separably interitted with the elements of the grid. As shown, said support comprises a set of parallel planks 34 that extend in the spaces between tubes 9 of the grid. Said planks are connected by transverse cleats 35 and are spaced therefrom by spacer blocks 36. Said blocks are of such height that, with the grid resting on cleats 35, planks 34 are elevated with respect to the grid and serve to space the body of the user from the grid. Thus, said grid is not subjected to the weight of the user, the same being borne bythe support, and the vair-passing openings 26 are at no time obstructed by the users body for free ingress of air bubbles into the bath water. Support 8 is preferably fabricated of wood members.

While the invention that has been illustrated and described is now regarded as the preferred embodiment, the construction is, of course, subject to modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is, therefore, not desired to restrict the invention to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and described to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A gas-bubble-discharging unit comprising .a set of elongated and parallel tubes each having discharge openings, a header connecting said tubes at one end and supplying gas thereto, a longitudinal partition having openings therein and positioned between that portion of each tube having the discharge openings and the opposite portion of the tube, said partition dividing the tube into substantially coextensive longitudinal chambers, and a strip of felt material in the chamber of each tube that is defined and compressed between that portion of the tube having the discharge openings and the mentioned partition.

2. The gas-bubble-discharging unit according to claim 1: each of said tubes having a flattened rectangular cross-section in which the width dimension is greater than the height dimension, the mentioned discharge openings being provided in the upper fiat wall of each tube.

3. In a grid of the character described, a plurality of similar tubes each having an open end to receive gas under pressure and an opposite closed end, each tube being of rectangular crosssection to have upper, lower and side walls, the upper wall having discharge openings therein, a perforated partition ineach tube spanning be tween the side walls thereof and dividing the same into longitudinal chambers, the lower of said chambers constituting a gas-conducting passage, and a filler of compressed porous material in the other chamber and filling the same.

4. A gas-,bubble-discharging unit comprising a set of elongated and parallel tubes Veach having discharge openings, a header connecting said tubes at one end and supplying gas thereto, each tube having a passage therealong and in direct communication with the header, a strip of felt material in each tube between itspas'sag'e and discharge openings, and va longitudinal perforated channel member disposed within each tube and, together with a wall of the latter, dening the mentioned passage, said channel mem'- ber also confining the strip of felt material against an opposite wall of the tube.

ROBERT T. MELSHEIMER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED sTATEs PATENTS 

